Cultivator



March 23, 1937. Q SOUZA ET AL 2,074,521

March 23, 1937. Q soUzA ET AL CULTIVATOR Filed April 28, 1936 4Sheets-Sheet 3 QJ @i ATTORNEY di .E'I Ei- E INVENTo FAS :E'I E www Maren23, 1937.

Filed April 28, 195e G. SOUZA ET AL CULTIVATOR 4 Shee 11s-Sheet 4 INVNTOR @W v @Q3-WR lLrToRNEY Patented Mar. 23, 1937 STATS ATN'i' FEECULTIVATOR George Souzav and Edward Souza, Irvington, Calif.

Application April 28,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanisms for the tillage of soil.

It is an object of the invention to provide a tilling implement whichwill, at one pass, cultivate the soil on each side of three rows ofcrops.

Other objects of the invention are: to provide a cultivator which may besteered to the right or left, while moving in a forward direction, so asto enable the operator to maintain the imple- 11) ment in alinement withthe rows of crops; to

provide for lateral adjustment between the respective groups of plows sothat the width of the course ci soil cultivated may be varied while thecultivator is in motion; to provide for shifting of the several gangs ofplows simultaneously with movement of the wheels to steer thecultivator; to provide for vertical adjustment of the plOws eitherseparately or as groups while the cultivator is in motion; to providefor instantly varying the depth of cut of all the plows as a unitarygroup; and to provide means associated with each gang of plows forbreaking up and moving away .from the plants the topsoil crust so thatthe possibility of clods of crust being thrown on and injuring theplants, is obviated.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, together with the foregoing, will be specically set forth in thedetailed description of the invention which follows. It is to beunderstood that the invention is not to be limited to the particularform thereof herein shown and described, as various embodiments thereofmay be employed within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:A

Figure l is a top plan view of the cultivator of this invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the cultivator. The plane inwhich the view is taken is indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of a portion of the cultivator showing thesteering mechanism and the connection between this mechanism and theshifting mechanism for the plow gangs.

Figure 4 is a vertical elevational view of the structure shown in'Figure3.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 3showing the positions of the various elements of the mechanism while the50 cultivator is being steered to the left.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional View of the cultivater, The plane inwhich the view is taken is indicated by the line 6 6 of Figure 1.

Figure '7 is a front elevational view of the culti- 55 vator.

1936, serial N0. 76,744 (c1. sii-155i Figure 8 is a fragmental verticalsectional View of the cultivator showing one of the master levers foroperating a group of plow gangs.

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a fragmental vertical sectional View of the cultivatorshowing one of the operating levers for raising or lowering theindividual plow gangs.

Figure 11 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 10.

In detail, the cultivator comprises a main frame composed of a pair ofspaced parallel angle bars I2 secured together by angle iron crossmembers i3 which are spaced along the length of the bars l2. Mounted ateach end of one of the bars I2 are brackets i4 each having a verticallydisposed cylindrical portion i5 provided with a bore I6 which journals aspindle il carrying at its lower end a block I8 from which thereprojectsa transverse spindle i9 upon which the cultivator wheel 2G is journaled.Attached, by rivets 2|, to an arm 22 formed on each block i8 is a lever23 extending upwardly toward the main frame and provided at its upperend with an aperture which provides a journal for the outer end of a tierod 2li, the inner ends of the latter being pivotally secured inapertures 25 provided in a tie bar Z6 which joins the tie rods together.It will be seen that, since each wheel 2li is mounted to pivot about theaxis of its spindle H, and the two wheels are connected together by thetie rods and bar 24 and 26 respectively, movement of the bar and rodsaxially will cause both wheels to move to angular positions with respectto the transverse axis of the cultivator, whereupon, when the cultivatoris moving in a forward direction it may be steered to the right or left.

Secured at one end thereof to the main frame bars l2 is a pair of beams21 which project rearwardly of the main frame and support, at theircuter ends, a bucket seat 28 for the operator.

Means are provided adjacent the seat 28, and controllable by theoperator, for actuating the tie bar and rods 26 and 2li respectively tosteer the cultivator. Secured in spaced relation on the vertical face ofone of the frame bars l2, as is shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, is aplurality of pairs of brackets 29, the outer end of each bracket beingapertured to receive a bolt 3G on which is pivoted a lever 3l providedwith an arm 32 extending upwardly beyond the pivot. The lower end ofeach lever 3| is bent outwardly and provided with a pad 33 which ispositioned to be within reach of the operators foot. The distal end ofeach extension 32 is apertured to receive a pin 34 which pivotallysupports one end of a pair of links 35, the other end of which isapertured to receive a pin 35 which pivotally connects the links 35 witha twisted link 3l. Both links 3l are pivotally connected, by means ofbolts 38, to opposed arms 39 of a T-shaped lever which is pivotallymounted on the frame bar I2 by means of a bolt 4l). The other arm 4| ofthe lever is pivotally joined with the tie bar 26 by means of a pivotbolt 42. Figure 3 illustrates the positions of the parts when the Wheelsare parallel with the longitudinal axis of the cultivator and the latteris moving in a direction in alinement with its axis, it being of coursenecessary for the operator to maintain an equal pressure on the ped alswith his feet to maintain the wheels in this relative position withrespect to the axis. If, however, it is desired that the cultivator bemoved to the right or left, so as to maintain the wheels midway betweenthe rows of plants, the operator may increase the pressure on either theleft or right hand pedal, depending upon which direction it is desiredto steer the cultivator, whereupon the parts assume respectively theposition,

or the opposite thereof, as shown in Figure 5. It will be seen thatdepressing the left hand pedal in this case has swung the T-shaped leverabout its pivot and moved the tie bar 25 and rods 24 to the left therebyswinging the wheels 20 so that the cultivator Will track to the left.

Means are provided for supporting gangs of cultivator plows on the mainframe and means are provided operable in conjunction with the steeringmechanism just described for shifting the ploW gangs as the cultivatoris steered so as to insure correct tracking of the gangs inthe furrowsbetween the rows of plants. Positioned on the frame adjacent the forwardframe bar l2 is a pair of rods 43 each being slidable axially withrespect to the other, and to the frame, in bearings 44. Secured atspaced intervals to each of the rods, by U-shaped bolts 45, are bearingblocks 45 provided with bores, parallel to the axes of the rods, whichprovide sockets for receiving the angularly bent ends of tubular arms41. These arms depend from the blocks 45 and at their lower ends areangularly bent to provide a horizontal portion upon'which are pivotallymounted a block 48 and hubs 49. The blocks 48 are each providedwith ears54 apertured to receive the bent ends of stay rods 5| and 52 and theopposite ends of the stay rods are pivotally secured in aperturesprovided in the depending legs of the frame bars l2. The purpose of thestay bars is to stabilize the arms 4l and prevent movement thereofrelatively to the frame in fore and aft directions.

Each of the hubs 43 is provided with lugs 53 to which are secured plowbars 54. These plow bars are arranged in pairs, as is shown in Figure 1,each pair being attached to the hubs 49 carried by the lower ends of thearms 4l, and are bent at their outer ends and joined together by weldingor in any other manner. The arrangement of the bars is such that betweencertain pairs thereof unobstructed channels 55 are provided. On thevarious plow bars are mounted, by U-bolts 55, clamp blocks 5'! whichsecure to the bars the stems 58 of cultivator plows or teeth 55. One setof blocks carries the stems 5B of dished disks 6l. The plows arearranged, as will be seen in Figure 1, in six separate groups and eachgroup is provided with a disk 6l. In operation, the cultivator is drawnalong over the rows of plants,

the latter passing through the channels 55, the four inner groups ofplows passing along the furrows on either side of the middle row ofplants, and the outer sets of plows together with the wheels passingalong the furrows on the outer side of the outside rows of plants. Theplows are adapted to bite into the soil a considerable distance whilethe disks 6l in advance of each set of plows are for the purpose ofbreaking up the encrusted top soil and directing it away from the plantstoward the center of the furrow Where it will be pulverized by theplows. If it were not for the disks the plows would be liable to tear uplarge chunks of the top soil and cast them on top of the plants,possibly seriously injuring the latter.

One of the bearing blocks 46, adjacent the center of each of the rods43, is provided with an extension 62 which is apertured to provide apivot for one end of a link 53 the other end of which is pivotallysecured in one of the opposed arms 64 of a T-shaped lever; the other arm65 thereof extending outwardly at right angles to the arms 64 anddownwardly to terminate at a point below the rods 43. The T-shaped leveris provided with a pivot bolt 56 which is secured at one end of amember, the arms 61 of which straddle the end of the steering lever arm4I and are secured to the tie bar 25 by means of rivets 68. The outerend of the lever arm 65 is apertured to receive the end of a control rod69 which passes rearwardly under the main frame and is pivotallyattached to the depending portion of a control lever l! the latter beingpivotally mounted on one of the beams 2l and being provided with anotched quadrant i2 and with a spring pressed pin controllable by athumb lever 'I3 which raises the pin out of the quadrant notches andpermits movement of the lever. When the pin is seated in one of thenotches it will be apparent that the lever is locked against movement.

Referring now to Figure 5 it Will be seen that when one of the pedals 33is depressed to steer the cultivator, the rods 45 will, due to theirbeing connected with the tie bar 26 by means of the arms G7, shiftaxially in the same direction in which the cultivator is steered therebyshifting all of the plow gangs laterally of the cultivator. By movingthe control lever H forward or backward the T-shaped lever 64-65 Will berotated about the axis of the pivot bolt 56 and will, due to theconnection between the arms 64 and the bearing blocks 45, provided bythe links 63, cause each rod 43 to shift axially with respect to theother and in opposite directions. Since, as is clearly illustrated inFigure 1, alternate pairs of plow bars 54 are carried by the rods theopposed shifting of the rods Will cause the alternate groups of plows tomove toward or away from the adjoining group with the result that thechannels 55 through which the rows of plants pass may be either widenedor narrowed and likewise the width of the course of soil churned up bythe plows in each furrow may be increased or decreased.

Means are provided, controllable from the operators seat, for regulatingthe depth which the plows enter the soil. Positioned just above the rearframe bar l2, and journaled at each end in brackets 14, is a pair ofsquare shafts 'E5 and 16 and carried by these shafts directly above eachconnected pair of plow bars 54 is a lever TI. Each of the levers l? isprovided with an upper portion 'I8 and a lower extension l!! and ispivotally mounted, by means of a bolt on an arm CFI ti carried by aclamp 82 secured by bolts 83 rigidly to the shafts. The outer portion ofthe arm 8l is curved to provide a quadrant 84 having notches 85 in theedge thereof which receive the end of a locking rod 86 slidably mountedin lugs 3l' secured to the upper portion 18 of the lever. The upper endof the locking rod is bent outwardly to provide a handle 88, and a coilspring il!! is mounted about the rod and confined between the upper lug3l and a washer 9D secured to the rod, for urging the end of the rodinto engagement with one of the notches 85. The outer end of the lowerextension 19 is apertured to pivotally receive the end of a pull rod 9ithe lower end of which is slidably mounted, as is shown in Figure 6, ina transverse aperture formed in a shaft 92 pivotally carried by opposedplow bars 54. Nuts 93 are provided by means of which the distancebetween the pivot points at either end of the pull rods 9| may bevaried. A coil spring 94 is mounted about the pull rod and is confinedbetween the shaft 92 and a collar 95 mounted on the pull rod; theposition of the collar being adjustable by means of a set screw 96 sothat the degree of compression of the spring 94 may be varied. A spring9'! extends from the upper end of the spring 94 and is secured at itsupper end to the rear frame bar I2. It will be seen that by swinging thelever 18 about its pivot, the plow bars 54 connected therewith will beswung about the axis of the hubs t9 thus raising or lowering the plows59. The degree of penetration of the plows into the soil may be variedby allowing the locking rod 85 to remain in any one of the notches 85.It will be observed that there is a slip connection between the lowerend of the pull rod 9i and the plow bars 515. This is provided so thatif a gang of plows encounters a rock in the soil they may ride over it,the bars being capable of moving upwardly independently of the pull rodagainst the tension of the spring 94. The spring 5l is provided toassist in raising the plow gangs from the soii when the lever lockingrod is released.

It will be seen that each lever 'I1 provides means for raising orlowering each individual gang of plows. Means are also provided wherebyall groups of plows lying at either side of the longitudinal axis of thecultivator may be simultaneously raised. This is accomplished byproviding a so-called master lever 88 on each ofV the shafts l5 and '16.These levers are secured to the shafts by clamps 99 held by bolts 150,and are provided with locking rods i6! urged by springs ft2 into thenotches |03 of quadrants It# secured by rivets m5 to the cross membersE3 of the main frame. It will be seen that since the quadrants IEM arefixed, the shafts 'i5 and 'E5 will be held against rotation and while soxed also prevent movement of the quadrants 84 associated with the leversl1. When one of the master levers is moved it will rotate its shaft andconsequently all of the levers Tl connected with that shaft will movesimultaneously to raise or lower the sets of plow gangs. It is thuspossible to cultivate with but one group of plows, the other group beingheld up out of engagement with the soil.

Means are provided whereby the penetration of all of the gangs of plowsmay be instantly and equally varied. Secured to the upper surface ofeach frame bar i2 is a pair of convergent bars 155, these bars beingbrought downwardly as they leave the main frame into parallel relationand between these parallel portions lli is pivotally secured, by meansof a pin iBS a bell crank m9 one arm of which extends horizontally andis provided with a coupling l l5 apertured tc receive the hook of thedraw bar of a tractor or other source of motive power, and the other armof which extends vertically and is connected by means cf a control rod IH with a control lever i l2 pivotally on one of the bars 2l whichsupport the seat 2B. This lever is provided with a spring pressedlocking rod H3 which engages in the notches Hsiof a quadrant H5similarly to the mounting of the control lever ll. By moving the leverH2 forward and backward the bell crank will be swung about its pivotthus raising or lowering the pivot with respect to the coupling I I8 andconsequently raising or lowering the plows, since the entire cultivatorrocks about the axis of rotation of the wheels 25.

The cultivator just described is extremely flexible in operation, sincethe plows are capable of movement as a unit transversely of the device,thereby making the cultivator sensitively responsive to the steeringcontrols and enabling the operator to quickly restore the plows tocorrect alinernent with the furrows should the cultivator drift toeither side thereof. This arrangement also permits the operator tofollow abrupt curvatures of the furrows. The provision of means forregulating the width of the courses of soil churned up by the plows isanother valuable feature as are also the provision of the diskasscciated with each plow gang for breaking up and directing theencrusted vtop soil toward the center of the furrow, thereby preventingpossible damage to the plants, and the feature of the adjustability ofthe vertical settings of the plows either individually in selectedgroups, or as a unitary assembly.

We claim:

l. A cultivator comprising a frame, spindles pivotally mounted on saidframe, wheels rotatably mounted on said spindles, arms secured to andextending from said spindles, a tie rodconnecting said arms for movementtogether, a pair of shafts mounted on said frame for relative axialmovement, a plurality of bars pivotally connected with each of saidshafts, alternate bars being carried by the respective shafts,cultivator plows carried by said bars, a pair of foot operated leversmounted on said frame, means for connecting said levers with said tiebar whereby said tie bar is moved axially when said foot operated leversare depressed to move said wheels relatively to said frame to steer thecultivator in lateral directions, means for connecting said tie bar andsaid shafts together whereby said shafts are moved axially with said tiebar when the latter is moved, and means `for moving said shafts axiallyof each other in opposite directions independently of said tie bar tomove said plow bars toward and away from each other, said meanscomprising a lever pivotally carried by said tie bar, links pivotallyconnecting opposite ends of said lever with the respective shafts, anarm extending from said lever, an operating lever pivotally mounted onsaid frame, and a rod connecting said lever arm and said operating leverfor movement together.

2. A cultivator comprising a frame, spindles pivotally mounted on saidframe, wheels rotatably mounted on said spindles, arms secured to andextending from said spindles, a tie rod connecting said arms formovement together, a pair of shafts mounted on said frame for relativeaxial movement, a plurality of bars pivotally connected With each ofsaid shafts, alternate bars being carried by the respective shafts,cultivator plows carried by said bars, a pair of foot operated leversmounted on said frame, a rocking lever pivotally mounted on said frameand connecting said foot operated levers for opposed movement together,an arm carried by said rocking lever and pivotally attached to said tierod, an arm xed to and extending from said tie rod, a rocking levercal'- ried by said tie rod arm, an arm extending from said secondrocking lever, an operating lever pivotally mounted on said frame andsecurable thereto in diierent positions of movement, and a rodconnecting said operating lever and the arm of said second rocking leverfor movement together.

3. A cultivatorq comprising a frame, spindles pivotally mounted on saidframe, Wheels rotatably mounted on said spindles, arms secured to andextending from said spindles, a tie rod connecting said arms formovement together, a pair of nonrotatable shafts slidably mounted onsaid frame for relative axial movement, a plurality of bars pivotallyconnected with each' of said shafts, alternate of said bars beingcarried by the respective shafts, cultivator plows carried by said bars,a pair of foot operated levers pivotally mounted on said frame, arocking lever pivotally mounted on said frame and connecting said footoperated levers for opposed movement together, an arm carried by saidrocking lever and pivotally attached to said tie rod, an arm fixed toand extending from said tie rod, a rocking lever carried by said tie rodarm, an arm extending from said second rocking lever, an operating leverpivotally mounted on said frame and securable thereto in diiferentpositions of movement, a rod connecting said operating lever and the armof said second rocking lever for movement together, a pair ofindependently rotatable shafts mounted on said frame, extensions xed atspaced intervals to and movable with said shafts, a manually operatedlever pivotally mounted on each of said extensions, means for securingsaid manually operated levers to said shafts for preventing relativemovement therebetween, a manually operated master lever xed to each ofsaid shafts, means for connecting each of said rst manually operatedlevers to respective bars, and means for securing each of said masterlevers to said frame for preventing movement of said levers and saidshafts.

4. A cultivator comprising a frame, spindles pivotally mounted on saidframe, wheels rotatably mounted on said spindles, arms secured to andextending from said spindles, a tie rod connecting said arms formovement together, a pair of nonrotatable shafts slidably mounted onsaid frame for relative axial movement, a plurality of bars pivotallyconnected With each of said shafts, alternate of said bars being carriedby the respective shafts, cultivator plows carried by said bars, a pairof :foot operated levers pivotally mounted on said frame, a rockinglever pivotally mounted on said frame and connecting said foot operatedlevers for opposed movement together, an arm carried by said rockinglever and pivotally attached to said tie rod, an arm xed to andextending from said tie rod, a rocking lever carried by said tie rodarm, an arm extending from said second rocking lever, an operating leverpivotally mounted on said frame and securable thereto in differentpositions of movement, a rod connecting said operating lever and the armof said second rocking lever for movement together, a pair ofindependently rotatable shafts mounted on said frame, extensions xed atspaced intervals to and movable with said shafts, a manually operatedlever pivotally mounted on each of said extensions, means for securingsaid manually operated levers to said shafts for preventing relativemovement therebetween, a manually operated master lever nxed to each ofsaid shafts, means for connecting each of said rst manually operatedlevers toy respective bars, means for securing each of said masterlevers to said frame for preventing movement of said levers and saidshafts, a pair of bars secured at one end thereof to said frame andextending outwardly beyond said frame in closely adjacent parallelrelationship, a bell crank pivotally mounted on the parallel portions ofsaid bars, a coupling secured to one arm of said bell crank by means ofwhich said cultivator may be connected to the draw bar of a tractor, anadjusting lever pivotally mounted on said frame, a rod connecting saidadjusting lever with the other arm of said bell crank, and means forsecuring said adjusting lever to said frame in diiferent positions ofmovement thereof for raising or lowering said coupling with respect tothe frame of the cultivator so as to pivot the cultivator about therotational axis of said wheels and simultaneously raise or lower all ofsaid cultivator plows.

GEORGE SOUZA. EDWARD SOUZA.

CJD

